File Save Format

[James McComas]

What is the best format to save raw files in Lightroom for archiving purposes.

[Doug West]

If you mean for backup purposes, the original RAW file is the best. After that, its really a personal choice on what to backup next. Me, I backup my RAW and TIF files. I don't backup my jpg files since I can always create new ones
from the TIF file I backed up.

Doug

[Robert Amoruso]

James,

I backup my RAW files and TIFF files. I do not use LR. LR users have the ability to save the RAW and the side-car file that contains the processing information LR records during ACR and subsequent LR processing. As I understand it, you can archive the RAW and this side-car file but you have to be careful that the files follow each other around when being saved to different drives. BUt I am no expert on this aspect of LR use so perhaps a fellow LR user will respond.

My workflow is editing in BreezeBrowers Pro which sorts out about 10% of the images created for archiving. I then re-edit those 10% down to another 10% (1% of total shoot) that I will work on. I then convert either in BBPro. ACR or Capture NX for my Nikon RAWs (I use both Canon and Nikon). These conversions are to TIFF. I process in PSCS3 in TIFF, 16-bit, Adobe RGB and save the layered TIFF file. From those files I create the JPG's for posting and sized, sharpened, and flattened TIFF files for printing. These files are all archived (my 10% RAW edit and all TIFFs).

[Alfred Forns]

Robert that is one of the reasons for using LR !!! Cuts way down on the work for backing up As long as you don't change the name of the files you will be fine .

The first version was a pain as far as moving files etc All has been taken care with new versions. Worth looking into !!! Also the RAW converter is as good as anything else other tan Capture NX which I only use for a very few select files !!!